Victorian Funeral Symbolism – Page 3 – Friends of Oak Grove Cemetery

Lily- The Flower of Mourning

January 4, 2008January 4, 2008 ShelleyLeave a comment

An Oak Grove granite lily

Perhaps there is no one flower more associated with mourning, funerals or grave stones than the lily. Madonna lily, calla lily. or other varieties, with their bell- shaped blossoms and heavy perfume were a favorite of Victorian mourners at the wake, on the grave and carved on stones for the female Departed. Oak Grove has a veritable field of beautiful carved granite and marble lilies. In an excellent description from the web site The Art of Mourning, the meaning behind the symbol is explained.

“Lily: Majesty, innocence, purity, and resurrection. Often associated with the Virgin Mary and resurrection. Often used on women’s graves. The use of lilies at funerals symbolizes the restored innocence of the soul at death.”

For other interpretations of Victorian plant symbolism, visit http://www.artofmourning.com/symbolism.html#plants

Aesthetic and Black Forest influences

January 3, 2008 ShelleyLeave a comment

The popular styles which affected home decor and fashion also followed on to the final purchase- a gravestone. At the end of the nineteenth century, many influences were at work to counter the previous generation of old Victorian tastes. The Aesthetic Movement was afoot in England and Europe with its high regard for the hand made, natural, and back-to-Nature motifs of trees, flowers, and other flora and fauna. The famous Swiss and German Black Forest and rustic hunting lodge influence was spotted in furnishings for the home- shelves and picture frames laden with carved walnut leaves and stag heads, antlers, rough bark and “twig” effects. Art Nouveau (1880-1914) was sweeping the globe as well with fluid natural lines, sensuous curves, flowers and whimsical motifs.

Monuments in Oak Grove reflect all of these trends, and especially noteworthy is the symbolic motif of the tree, twig, or tree cut off short, reflecting a life cut off in its prime. Particularly interesting is the enormous life-sized tree marker of Cook Borden, a relative of Lizzie Borden, who had, by coincidence, a lumber yard business in Fall River. It is hard to know if the tree was purchased for that reason, or because it was stylish-but it remains one of the most fascinating memorial tributes in Oak Grove.

A Victorian Memorial Park

January 2, 2008January 2, 2008 Shelley2 Comments

The concept of a beautifully -landscaped park where families might come to visit departed Loved Ones was first fully-realized in London’s Highgate and Cambridge’s Mount Auburn. The Victorians rivalled the Ancient Egyptians in their ritual observances of death and burial, monuments and memorials. Beautiful Oak Grove Cemetery in the North end of Fall River is one of many New England mid- century Victorian memorial parks where the streets are named for trees, and fanciful wrought iron gates enclose the fine families of the city like fences of stately homes in the earthly life.

For those who love cemeteries, – the peacefulness and quiet of the Past- Oak Grove holds unparalleled verdant vistas and peerless carved monuments of another age. Whether a student of Victorian symbolism , or of Fall River history- a pensive hour spent in silence at Oak Grove is a retreat from the pressures of modern society, and a glimpse into the intriguing past of the city’s notable citizens.

Plagued with the problems all cemeteries are faced with today, vandalism, landscaping and maintenance costs, security, lack of volunteerism, etc. -perhaps now is the time for those who truly appreciate the heritage and history enclosed within the gates and walls of Oak Grove to come together.